WEBVTT TO PROTECT KIDS ARE NOT ALWAYS WORKING. IT STARTED WITH A SIMPLE FALL WHILE CHEERLEADING, BUT INSTEAD OF SITTING OUT, SHE WAS TOLD TO KEEP CHEERING. MY BRAIN BATTERED BACK AND FORTH IN MY HEAD AS I WAS JUMPING, FLIPPING. MINUTES LATER, SHE COLLAPSED. SHE WAS IN A COMA FOR WEEKS, HAD TO LEARN TO WALK AGAIN AND LIVE WITH A BRAIN INJURY. MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT VERY GUARDED STEPS. RYAN IS OUTRAGED WHEN SHE HEARS THE LATEST STATISTICS. STATE OFFICIALS TELL 5 INVESTIGATES ONE IN EVERY FIVE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES SAY THEY'VE LIKELY HAD CONCUSSIONS. THAT MEANS THOUSANDS, MAYBE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MASSACHUSETTS STUDENT ATHLETES ARE GETTING CONCUSSIONS EVERY YEAR AND EVEN MORE TROUBLING, HALF OF THOSE STUDENTS SAY THEY'RE STILL PLAYING AFTER THEIR HEAD INJURY. NO. I HEAR THAT AND I WANT TO SCREAM ONE THE FIRST TO PUBLICLY WARN ABOUT THE DANGERS OF CONCUSSIONS AFTER SUFFERING THEM FIRST AS A HARVARD FOOTBALL PLAYER, THEN A PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER. THEY KEEP PLAYING AND GET ADDITIONAL BRAIN DAMAGE. ONE WAY TO PREVENT THAT, MORE ATHLETIC TRAINERS ON HAND, LIKE MICHELLE KELLY IN SUMMERVILLE, READY TO PULL OUT A PLAYER AFTER ANY SIGN OF CONCUSSION. THEY'RE TEENAGERS AND THINK THEY'RE INVINCIBLE. THE FOOTBALL TEAM PRACTICES HEADS-UP TACKLING WITH AN EYE TOWARDS REDUCING INJURY. LIKE OTHER SCHOOLS, LIMITS HITTING DRILLS TO TWO DAYS A WEEK. SCHOOLS ARE SUPPOSED TO TELL THE STATE HOW MANY CONCUSSIONS THEIR HAD STUDENT ATHLETES ARE GETTING BUT 5 INVESTIGATES EXAMINED EVERY RECORD SUBMITTED BY SCHOOLS THIS YEAR AND FOUND AT LEAST 100 HADN'T SUBMITTED BY THE DEADLINE. OTHERS REPORTED JUST A FEW, EXPERTS SAY LIKELY FAR LESS THAN ACTUALLY OCCURS. INFURIATING BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IF WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION, THEN WE CAN BETTER PROVIDE SUPPORT AND INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY. YOUNG ATHLETES ARE NOT JUST SMALL VERSIONS OF ADULTS. DR. MICHAEL O'BRIEN HAS SEEN NO LET-UP IN PATIENTS FROM A VARIETY OF SPORTS COMING TO HIM. IT'S DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP WITH SCHOOL AND MAKE UP WITH SCHOOL WORK. THERE CAN BE DIFFICULTY WITH BALANCE ISSUES AND EMOTIONAL CHANGES. RYAN IS A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATION OF MASSACHUSETTS, DETERMINED TO CHANGE ATTITUDES OF COACHES, PARENTS AND STUDENT ATHLETES. I DON'T CARE IF IT'S THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AND YOU'RE IN THE FINAL SECONDS OF SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME, IT IS NOT WORTH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. YOU ONLY GET ONE BRAIN. PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS TELL US THEY'RE WORKING WITH SCHOOLS TO TRACK THESE BRAIN INJURIES BETTER AND MAKE SURE KIDS WITH CONCUSSIONS GET TREATED BEFORE